Feeding dairy cows the correct total mixed ration (TMR) is critical to their health and productivity.

As of this writing (early December 2015), milk prices in the first quarter of 2016 may be dropping as the holiday demand for butter and cheese declines. Current butter and cheese prices are higher in the U.S. compared to the world market, while U.S. milk powder prices are similar to the world market.

In the approximately 15 years since the conversion of the U.S. milk pricing system to multiple component pricing, dairy farms have made tremendous progress in their production of milkfat and milk protein.

Increasing demand for canola oil has greatly increased canola cultivation. In Canada alone, canola production has grown from about 3 million tons in 1991 to nearly 18 million tons in 2013.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on feed additives and supplements. Click here to read the second part of series (Additives and supplements: What are they supposed to do for me?) If you read any of the dairy magazines, attend any conferences or spend any time on dairy sites on the Internet, you know feed efficiency in dairy cows has become a common topic.

Through years of neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFd) work, it is clear there are multiple pools within the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of forage fiber. Currently, we are focused on three pools: fast, slow and “indigestible.”

As we approach the final stretch of winter, this past year’s harvest may seem like an eternity ago. However, as dairy producers begin to feed out the 2015 crop, they may want to consider testing for mold and mycotoxins.

California’s San Joaquin Valley is home of both the largest dairy herd and the worst air quality in the U.S.

When you opened your 2015 silage piles for the first time, were you filled with anticipation and confidence the new crop silage would meet your highest expectations for quality feed?

For many dairy producers, it will soon be time to feed the newly ensiled corn silage. Working in conjunction with their nutritional consultants, producers should have already sent corn silage samples to a laboratory for detailed analysis. Even with accurate analysis, there may be surprises in store that could mean some herds may not transition as expected to the new crop.